Plastic film bags and carrying handle



Feb. 25, 1969 J, J. DORFMAN PLASTIC FILM BAGS AND CARRYING HANDLE Filed May 16, 1967 FIG.1

I III FIG.3

FIG.4

INVENTOR. Jerome J. Dorfman BY 0'61 5. W

TORN United States Patent 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A plastic film bag having a plastic handle; the bag being suspended from the handle and including a flap closure.

Background of the invention It has been proposed to provide plastic film bags or envelopes for packaging soft goods for display and sale, wherein the bag initially includes handle means so that the bag may still be used after its original contents are removed therefrom.

In one known form of such bag; the handle comprises a pair of similar opposed strips interconnected at their opposite ends with upstanding looped handle forming portions at the mid-portions thereof; the strips being heat sealed to the mouth portions of the bag. Further, the opposed strips include coacting snap type fasteners at spaced points to detachably interconnect the strips to close the bag.

The handle in such known bag construction invloves substantial bulk and weight of material at the mouth of the bag, particularly when compared to the light gauges of plastic film forming the bag proper. Also, the spaced fasteners leave extended portions of the handle forming strips unattached and susceptible to displacement and inadvertent opening of the bag.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an improved plastic film bag having a single strip handle means which materially reduces the bulk and weight of the handle at the mouth of the bag.

Another object of this invention is to provide a plastic film bag of the character described, in which the handle also provides means for suspending the opposed panel portions of the bag by 'way of a flap closure portion extending from one of the panels and detachably connected to the other panel; the flap closure positively sealing the mouth of the bag throughout the transverse extent thereof.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved plastic film bag which is of simple construction requiring a minimum amount of material for the fabrication thereof; which may be manufactured in an economical manner; and which lends itself to easy manipulation when filling the same or removing the contents thereof.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

Summary of the invention The invention is directed to a plastic film bag having a flap closure and a combination handle and suspending means in the form of a single plastic strip which is disposed in the transverse fold forming the flap closure of the bag and being heat sealed therein; the flap being detachably connected to the front panel of the bag, thereby providing balanced front and back panels in suspended relation to the combination handle and suspending means, particularly when the panels are distended by the weight of the contents of the bag.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a front plan view showing a bag embodying invention, with parts broken away;

3,429,497 Patented Feb. 25, 1969 ice FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the combination handle and suspending means forming part of the bag.

As shown in FIG. 1, 10 designates a plastic film bag embodying the invention. Bag 10 is formed of thin gauge plastic film which may be derived from polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride or other known thermoplastic resins. The bag 10 is of a quadrilateral shape with a back panel 11 and a front panel 12; the panels 11, 12 being secured together along bottom edge 13 and side edges 14, 15, as by heat sealing of the like. Alternatively, the bag may be formed from tubular plastic fil-m stock.

The back panel 11 has a length somewhat greater than that of front panel 12, the portion thereof extending beyond the top edge 16 of front panel 12, being folded on a transverse fold line 17 spaced above the top edge 16 of front panel 12; thereby forming a flap portion 18 which overlies the front surface of front panel 12. The bottom edge 19 of flap portion 18 is located well below the top edge 16 of front panel 12.

Bag 10 is provided with a combination handle and suspension means shown generally at 23, see FIG. 4. Means 23 is formed of molded thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene, polypropylene, or the like and comprises essentially a fiat flexible strip 24 which retains some stiffness. Strip 24 includes oppositely extending arm portions 24A, 24B and an intermediate portion 25 from which extends an integral, molded loop 26 providing handle means defining an aperture 27 for receiving the fingers of one carrying bag 10.

Handle means 23 is assembled with bag 10 by way of a slot 20 formed in fold line 17 centrally thereof and extending between spaced points 21, 22 in said fold line. The spacing between points 21, 22 corresponds to be longitudinal extent of the base portion of handle loop 26. Thus, means 23 is disposed between flap 18 and panel 12 with loop 26 thereof uppermost and is moved upwardly to pass loop 26 through slot 20 and to bring the outermost edge portions of the base of loop 26 in abutting relatin to the ends of slot 20, at points 21, 22.

The arm portions 24A, 24B will fit snugly beneath fold portions 17A, 17B in fold line 17 with the bottom edge of strip 24 being located immediately above top edge 16 of front panel 12. The transversely extending portions of flap 18 and back panel 11 in opposed relation to the opposite faces of strip 24 are heat sealed thereto, thus securing means 23 in place in the fold of flap 18 with the arms 24A, 24B thereof extending to the side edges 14, 15 of back panel 11.

Coacting snap fastener elements 30, 31 are respectively afiixed to opposed, centrally located portions of flap 18 and front panel 12, to retain flap 18 in its closed position. Further, the interconnection of flap 18 with front panel 12 allows for uniform suspension of panels 11, 12 relative to means 23, particularly when said panels are distended as by the weight of the contents of bag 10.

The combination handle and suspending means 23 may have a thickness ranging from about 0.50" to about .125", preferably about .060"; while the strip portion 24 may have a width of from about A", to about /2", preferably about The plastic film forming bag panels 11, 12 and flap 18 may have a gauge of from 1 to 8 mils.

It is understood that fastener elements 30, 31 may be replaced by other forms of closure members, including zipper elements and the like.

It will be apparent that bag 10 may be readily manipulated to open the same by grasping handle 26, lifting flap 18 and displacing front panel 12 from back panel 11 the strip portion 24 of means 23 bowing to provide an open mouth for the bag.

As various changes might be made in the herein disclosed embodiment of the invention Without departing from the spirit thereof, it is understood that all matter herein shown or described shall be deemed illustrative and not limiting except as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A bag construction comprising opposed front and back panels of flexible material secured together at their bottom and side edges, said back panel having a flap portion extending from the top edge thereof and folded down wardly along a transverse fold line above the top edge of said front panel, combination handle and suspension means having a centrally located handle forming loop portion and arm portions extending laterally from the opposite ends of said loop portion, said combination means.

being disposed within said fold line with the loop portion thereof projecting upwardly from said fold line, said fold line is formed with a longitudinal slot, the opposite ends of said slot terminating in spaced relation to the opposite edges of said flap portion, the loop portion of said combination means projecting upwardly through said slot, the arm portions of said combination means being located within fold line portions on opposite sides of said slot therein, said combination means being sealed to opposed surface portions of said flap portion and back panel adjacent said fold line, and coacting means on opposed portions of said flap portion and said front panel for detachably connecting said flap portion to said front panel.

2. A bag as in claim 1 wherein said combination means comprises a fiat strip including said arm portions and an intermediate portion forming the base of said loop portions, said strip having a bottom edge located immediately above the top edge of said front panel.

3. A bag as in claim 2 wherein said flat strip is formed of thermoplastic resin and said bag panels are formed of plastic film, opposed portions of said strip and bag panels being heat sealed together.

4. A bag as in calim 1 wherein the terminal ends of said arm portions of the combination means extend to the side edges of said back panel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,451,612 4/1923 Hausner 229-78 3,128,035 4/1964 Teweles 22968 3,298,416 1/1967 Grady 229-64 X FOREIGN PATENTS 5,856 1913 Great Britain. 926,310 5/1963 Great Britain. 1,447,571 6/1966 France.

0 JAMES B. MARBERT, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

